Our report is the first to show that an acute ingestion (6 h) of a relatively large, yet tolerable dose of alcohol (120-160 g), significantly increases activity of total serum β-hexosaminidase (total β-HEX), β-HEX A and β-HEX B isoenzymes, as well as salivary total β-HEX and urinary β-HEX A, in eight infrequent binge drinkers. An increase in the activity of serum and urinary total HEX is mainly due to its secretory isoenzyme β-HEX A. © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Medical Council on Alcohol. All rights reserved.